Turn it back on
by S-Bumblebee
Summary: My interpretation of the scene between Monkey and Trip in the Core room of the Leviathan, some flash backs of other scenes included. Oneshot.


**AN: Just finished this game and felt that I really wanted to write something on these two, this is mostly concerning my favourite scene in the game where Trip Deactivates Monkey's Head band, and I've carried the scene on with my own ideas...also some flash backs of other scenes here as well. Really enjoyed writing this, it was quite a challenge and was a refreshing change from writing Gears of War fics XD**

**Really needs to be more fanfiction on this game...and also I'd appreciate any feedback on whether I kept the characters in character especially seeing as this is the first time I've written them :p Thanks :D**

**Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and its characters belong to Ninja Theory and Namco**

They had done it. The Leviathan was finally out of the dam and on its way to Pyramid where they would be able to find out the truth and its culprit once and for all. Trip glanced at Monkey while she was working on the core room terminal, he was wandering around behind her, he seemed a little tense checking all around them every now and then watching the doors as if something would burst through, but she guessed it was the receding adrenaline after having to fight off so many mechs to protect the Leviathan's power cores.

"I think we're safe now Monkey" She reassured as she finished checking the schematics for damage from their escape out of the dam

Monkey didn't answer her just kept looking around, pacing up and down it was strange when she thought about it, there was always a primal part of him that triggered when they were in danger, some kind of instinct driven self that was all offence and strength. Even though she could see those characteristics there was also something else to Monkey, but she couldn't place what it was, it was a kind of gentility he'd often gripped her shoulder in reassurance at times, or soothed her panic and fear with words of encouragement. Shrugging to herself Trip moved a little away from the console and sat down on the floor the core room itself was a large spherical room with a platform that extended from one door to the other opposite, as she sat she was able to see down beneath the platform and see the many power cells that lined the walls not just around and above them, but below as well.

It was the first time in a while she was actually able to sit down and process everything they had been through since this adventure had started, from the moment she had escaped the Slave ship and fitted the slaver headband on him, to where they were now. Trip replayed the first shared conversation between them when he had woken from unconsciousness.

"_You!" He whispered in disbelief, the woman who sat in front of him the same one that had failed to stop and help him off the slave ship "Urgh...My head...it feels like it's been ripped open!"_

"_It's the Headband" She said quietly watching the man cautiously "The one I fit on you"_

_He raised his hands to his head and felt the slave band there "Get this thing off... or I'm going to rip your head off!" He demanded angrily _

_She seemed to hesitate for a moment like she was in conflict before she answered "No"_

"_No?" He demanded in question before he charged at her "You think I'm screwing with ya?" He yelled _

_She shrieked in fear for a moment before she spoke quickly "Command Stop!" _

_The man held his head in agony as the headband lit up glowing sinisterly as the he wailed in pain_

"_Oh my God...it works" She breathed in disbelief "Command, move away from me" She ordered her voice still lined with fear_

_The man was driven away, directed by the power of the headband as it followed its commands_

"_Urgh! What the hell are you doing?" He shouted as the pain threw him backwards disorientated _

"_I hacked a slave headband" She started to explain "So that it could be activated by my voice commands, activation triggers a systemic pain response...it's what controls the slaves"_

_Still struggling with pain the man managed to grit his teeth and speak "I'm going to kill you!"_

_She tilted her head "You can't...my heart stops beating, for any reason, the headband will discharge a lethal dose...if I die...you die"_

_This revelation seemed to calm him but he groaned "Why?"_

"_I need your help...I come from a Wind-farmer community, it's about three hundred miles from here...I'll never make it on my own, If slavers don't get me mechs will...that's the deal...get me back to my home and you can go back to yours"_

_He managed to stand up the pain having lessened at last "Looks like I don't have a choice"_

_She looked away from him then "Neither of us do...I'm sorry"_

Hearing heavy footsteps she looked up to see Monkey who sat down beside her at last apparently satisfied that they weren't in any immediate danger, as he sat he had looked up at the ceiling of the core room. Pointing with one of his huge hands Monkey directed Trip's attention above them, there were soft gestures of clouds there mimicking those from outside and the power cells imbedded in the walls gave it almost a night sky effect as they glowed against the dark contrast of the room, it really was beautiful.

Trip leant back to get a better look and smiled a little even though her mind was full of other things, Monkey leant back too though he decided to go the whole way and lie on his back, he was tired but he wouldn't say as much. His body ached all over from the amount of fighting and clambering he had performed over the last few days, that and keeping an eye on his female companion, his protection of her had drifted from simply keeping her alive to preserve his own life, to actually wanting to protect her without thought for himself, he found it strange and hard to understand, he had spent most of his life alone.

Trip looked away from the ceiling bending her knee up and resting her arms on it as she looked down beneath the platform, letting her thoughts wander again as she made the most out of the time she had to think, even if not all of it was pleasant. Now that she was calm after her frantic work trying to get power into their mechanical beast, Trip found that her mind felt a lot less constricted, she was able to really think about what had happened at her village, her discovery that everyone had been killed or captured. Not only that, but her father was gone, his life taken with nothing but his still body and a voice recording left for her to find. Heartbreak had filled her then; her soul reverberated from it for it to be replaced with a rage she'd never thought herself capable, she had to avenge him and her village, find the one responsible and make them pay, but just like her journey back home, she knew she wouldn't be able to do it alone.

_She looked up at Monkey who held an arm around her_

"_I told you...take me home, and I'll set you free...I guess I lied...I want to find out who did this... and then I'm going to kill him" _

That's what she had told Monkey, when she'd told him that she wasn't ready to set him free despite her promise to him and how much he had helped and protected her. He hadn't spoken to her from that moment on, not until they were on his bike heading towards where her father's friend Pigsy would be.

"_You haven't said anything to me...not since I went back on our deal" She had asked quietly from her place sat behind him_

"_What do you expect me to say? You get home, and find your life wiped out and you wanna hit back...I get that"_

_She'd been surprised by his answer but humbled as well "Everything is simple to you isn't it?"_

"_It is what it is"_

Trip sighed while she remembered their conversations, she had grown fond of Monkey throughout their travels, at first it had been a strained relationship, she had enslaved him, he had to do what she commanded though she had never actually commanded him to do anything except stay with her. Over time she had found herself awed by him, watching how he clambered so easily around their environment, his prowess in combat, his courage, she even found herself comforted by his presence and enjoying the moments they were close when he drove them on his bike to their next destination.

However Trip was sure he had no interest in her aside from wanting his freedom, it wasn't likely that he would want to stay with her once all of this was over, Pigsy had asked Monkey if they were together, because he himself was interested in Trip, then Monkey told Pigsy that he could take his chances with her, if he was interested in her at all surely he wouldn't have said that? It didn't matter anyway, she wasn't sure they'd be getting away from this adventure alive and she knew what she had done to him was wrong, she had dragged him into this mess, had him fighting for his and her lives ...she owed him more than she could give him, but then the one thing she could give him was valuable of that she knew...it was something everybody fought for...she could give him his freedom, just like she had promised.

She looked at monkey and saw that he was watching her; slowly she raised her right arm and activated her wrist terminal.

"I've been wanting to talk to you, but there never seems to be a good time" She started quietly

Monkey just listened as he looked at her; there was a calmness there that she hadn't seen when she had first met him.

She continued "When I found my Father...I'm not trying to excuse what I did...I knew it was wrong...I had no more right to Enslave you than anybody does..."she said in a near whisper as she swiped and tapped her fingers along the holographic screen until finally Monkey's headband glowed.

Monkey sat up his eyes slightly wide, his expression worrying her for a moment

"What have you done?" He questioned her quietly

"Nothing is controlling you anymore" She had deactivated the head band

He seemed to stumble "You mean...I can just...leave?"

Trip looked down at her feet "If that's what you want..." She couldn't deny that she was disappointed by his words; she really had hoped he might want to stick around

There was a moment of silence as it seemed to sink in that he had his freedom as promised, but when she looked up his expression was different and she couldn't read what it was.

"Turn it back on" He whispered

"What? Why?" She tried to ask before his words ran over hers

"You heard what I said...Turn it back on"

They never took their eyes off of one another as she once again brought up her wrist terminal, accessing the schematics for the slave band and re-activating it. It glowed once again and Monkey kept watching her, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Monkey...I...I don't understand" Trip stumbled confused as to why he wanted it reactivated

One of his huge hands lifted her chin to stop her from turning away from him though she tried anyway, what was Monkey doing?

"It doesn't matter..." He said quietly as he leant towards her, his other hand on her shoulder as he pulled himself closer to her.

"M-Monkey...what are you-"

But Monkey cut her off, bringing his face so close to hers that she lost her trail of thought, and he touched his lips to hers tentatively. Trip closed her eyes slowly as she let herself kiss him back, let herself shuffle closer to him to gain the safety of his embrace and to be protected by his strength. Allowing her arm to reach up around his neck, she felt the tufts of his hair as it stuck up spiking back to create his strange and unique hairstyle. They were both lost in the tranquillity of the room they were sat in, the power cells around them glimmering softly as they remained in each other's arms, feelings and emotions revealed even though unexpected between two people that were so different from one another.

After a little time passed, Trip withdrew from Monkey though she didn't move away but rested her head against his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Monkey" She said softly though she knew he would hear her

"Its okay" He said simply as he kept his arms around her

Trip leant back from him letting her green eyes steady their gaze on his blue ones before she turned in his arms and leant her back against his chest, his arms around her waist as she sat with him, the quiet silence around them comfortable as they remained there. They wouldn't have much more time until they would reach their destination and neither of them knew what was going to happen when they got there, but they could make the most of the little time they had. They didn't move until Pigsy's voice came loud over the speaker and with urgency lining his tone.

"Monkey! Trip! Get up here!"

Monkey nuzzled Trip with his nose not wanting to take his arms from her for a few more moments

"Come on, we better go"

Trip nodded before she wriggled away from him, getting up as he did and starting to head towards the control room where Pigsy would be waiting for them.

**All done, hope you liked it!**


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